


Where Did You Sleep Last Night

by elf_punk



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27438562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elf_punk/pseuds/elf_punk
Summary: Fred’s stuck in a bad relationship with an unfaithful girl and has lost his sense of self-worth. He doesn’t seem to realise he deserves better until somebody else manages to show him that love isn’t supposed to hurt.Carries a relatively large trigger warning for emotional abuse, with mentions of physical violence.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Fred Weasley/Reader, Fred Weasley/You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

“Stop staring, mate. You look like you’re about to use an Unforgivable Curse on them both.”

Reluctantly, Fred tore his eyes away from the sight of his girlfriend chatting animatedly with Roger Davies, feeling no less furious now that his eyes were fixed on his bowl of cereal. George gave his brother a sympathetic look, but decided against speaking further. 

“Guess I could say I told you so,” Fred said lowly, with his fists clenched by his side. 

George couldn’t argue with that. For weeks, he had attempted to quash his brother’s insecurities about his girlfriend’s loyalty, convinced it was just Fred being neurotic. But when he had failed to see her in the Common Room all evening, followed by her arriving late to breakfast with none other than Roger Davies, George suddenly felt rotten. Guilty at the unintentional gaslighting of his brother, he lay a hand over Fred’s shoulder.

“I never thought she’d actually do it, mate. I’m sorry,” George muttered softly to his brother, catching the pitying eyes of Lee as he scanned the Gryffindor table. 

“Yeah, well. I wish I could say I didn’t either, but I’ve known about this for longer than I want to admit.” Fred replied, ashamed. 

George narrowed his eyes in confusion. This wasn’t like Fred. His brother was usually the first to stand up for his own worth and the first to see that any injustices inflicted on himself, or any members of his family, were dealt with. The last thing George assumed Fred would do when faced with his partner’s unfaithfulness, was to continue the relationship and torture himself with the sight of a girl who was quite thoroughly undeserving of his love, publicly flaunt her infidelity. Because that’s exactly what she was doing, George realised bitterly.

Stealing a quick glance at the Ravenclaw table, he felt his insides burning with anger. She had her hand on Davies’ arm, and their faces were merely inches apart. How had he not noticed this before? Now that George began to think about it, Fred’s behaviour had changed markedly in the past two months, but he would have never suspected this. What on Earth was this girl doing to his brother? Before George could properly entertain the possibility that she may be using a love potion, he felt a rush of air behind his head and turned quickly, to see his brother storming out of the great hall with the face he usually wore when he was suppressing tears. 

Without another word, George leapt to his feet and followed his brother out of the hall, now not caring about the filthy looks he shot Davies and Fred’s (now hopefully ex) girlfriend as he left. Once the two were in the empty common room, Fred let out the distress he had kept caged, and a strangled gasp tore from his throat. 

“Georgie, I just- I can’t do it!” Fred sobbed desperately. “I love her, mate!”

“Yeah, I know! She doesn’t deserve it! It’s gonna hurt to leave her but how the hell will it be worse than what she’s doing now? She isn’t even hiding it, Fred!”

Letting out a pained groan, Fred sank into a chair.

“I know she isn’t! But I don’t know, maybe she…” Fred trailed off. “People can change! She said she’d try, I dunno-”

“Stop right there, Fred! D’you seriously think she loves you?”

George instantly regretted his words. The look in Fred’s eyes nearly reduced him to tears where he stood. In his brother’s eyes, he saw pure misery and a lifetime of buried pain and insecurity.

“I- I’m sorry, mate. I dunno what to say.”

“Just go, Georgie.”

George didn’t need to be told twice. With a distinct feeling of being suffocated, George ascended the stairs to his room, leaving his brother to weep silently into his own arm. 

George wished he could be surprised at the sight that lay before him when he returned to the common room an hour later.

Fred, with his head in his hands, was sat on a bench next to none other than the girl who had been torturing him for months. She was quickly whispering into his ear, stroking his arm and giving him soft, simpering eyes that made George’s blood boil. He thought he could make out the words “wouldn’t find another girl to love you” and “I put up with so much” falling from her lips. 

He could barely contain the fury, mixed with sadness that he felt when the girl stroked his hair and met his brother’s lips for a kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

Fred wasn’t entirely sure getting out of bed was worth it today. Double potions, then double history of magic followed by Charms, in which he would be paired with none other than Roger Davies himself. The humiliation Fred felt whenever he even had to look at Davies was unbearable, let alone having to work with the git for an entire period- the git that had most likely screwed his girlfriend two nights prior. Beginning to feel slightly ill, Fred borderline fell out of bed, scowling when he looked at his clock. He had missed breakfast.

As if he could eat anyway.

The day passed him by in a blur; he made marked attempts to avoid George and Lee throughout the classes they shared, giving him ample opportunity to think about Carolyn.

Do you seriously think she loves you?

George’s question had yet to vacate Fred’s mind. At this point, he wasn’t even sure he cared for the answer, Fred was past the empty cries of I deserve more. As long as she’d stay, he’d endure it. The sweetness with which such vitriolic words poured from her lips had done a wonderful job of convincing Fred that she was right and that he’d never find a girl who’d stick around for the long term. He was too energetic, too blunt, too much, even for his own family. She had to endure him and he ought to be grateful for it, he thought miserably.

Fred braced himself as he stepped into Charms class after a day of drifting through the castle. It was an airy room, brought alive by the mutterings of incantations and Flitwick’s excited squeaks. After scanning the room for his usual Charms partner, he narrowed his eyes in confusion when he saw Davies quickly setting off to work with Alicia Spinnet. Doesn’t wanna face me, huh? Prick.

Fred’s derisive train of thought was broken by a tentative tap on his shoulder.

“Uh, Fred?” The voice called, slightly timidly. Fred turned his head quickly and smiled politely at the sight of you looking up at him, your small frame a whole foot shorter than his own.

“Hey Y/N, you alright?” Fred responded, trying too hard to attach a sense of cheeriness to his voice. He liked you; you were warm, with an air of calm about you. Friendly too.

“Yeah, I’m good! I just wanted to let you know, I think we’ll be working together from now on? Roger and I have swapped, so he’s with Alicia now.”

“Oh really?” Fred began, somewhat confused but simultaneously glowing with gratitude that he could be partnered with you instead. “Great, Y/N yeah. Fantastic!” You sensed his warmth and beamed.

“Okay, well let’s get started! Think we’re recapping Protean charms today.”

Fred felt warm. Content. He didn’t feel the thrill that he’d felt when he first met Carolyn, but he felt a level of comfort in you that he’d almost never felt around her, even in the earlier days. The two of you worked and chatted, striking a perfect balance between confident nattering and successful spellwork. Flitwick passed your table, clapping his hands happily at your success.

“Mr. Weasley and Miss L/N! Excellent work, just fantastic! I can see the two of you make quite the pair!”

At his words, Roger Davies snapped his head up and smirked. Carolyn was definitely hearing about this. Trying to ignore the pain welling up in his chest, Fred turned back to your expectant eyes and felt the fear evaporate somewhat.

“Thanks Professor,” you said, smiling. As Flitwick walked away, you nudged Fred shyly, as if testing the contact. “See? Told you we could nail it!”

“Pft, yeah that was all you. Don’t need to butter me up,” Fred started, feeling his anxiety grow. You were bound to insult him any minute now. When you didn’t, he lifted his eyes to meet yours and noticed the confused, almost hurt look they held. He realised suddenly that his response had come across shorter than he’d intended. Dammit, fuck. “But if you say so! You’re the genius here, so if you say something it must be true, right?”

Your laugh tinkled in his ears, and the look of hurt evaporated.

“Oh, I don’t know. I think your joke shop stuff proves otherwise,” you exclaimed with a light blush rising to your cheeks.

“Wait, you think that stuff’s good?” Fred asked, the familiar bubble of nerves welling up inside him. She’s gonna laugh, she’s gonna laugh. Girls don’t like your pranks, and girls don’t like you-

“Come on, are you kidding me? It’s fucking fantastic!” You gushed, catching the eye of Flitwick before flushing beet red and dropping your voice. Fred found the gesture incredibly endearing and found himself smiling absentmindedly. “Well I mean, it’s really quite fantastic magic. I got my hands on one of your puking pastilles the other evening and just… wow.” You put a hand through your hair. “Doxy venom! It’s genius!”

“Hold up, how did you know about the venom? Is it my git brother spilling trade secrets?” Fred hissed accusingly, eliciting another laugh from you. This time it was a full-bodied hearty guffaw, a sound Fred found he enjoyed even more than your giggle earlier.

“Nah, doxy venom’s dead easy to test for, see. It reacts with boomslang skin quite strongly, so the minute I mixed a bit of the chew with some skin, it lit up so bright I thought I’d catch a plane.” You said in a single breath.

“A what?”

“Ah yeah sorry, muggle stuff. Basically it was just a really big blaze, but anyway- you’re very talented! You and your brother! Think I lucked out with the swap,” you breathed, but when Fred opened his mouth to speak, you hurried the conversation onward. “I have to dash actually, got alchemy. But we’ll talk soon, yeah?”

In the blink of an eye, you were gone. Fred was left feeling confused and slightly hurt until he saw the next class herding in and the person who led it.

Carolyn was sauntering into the emptying classroom, catching a glance at you rushing out and sporting a slight smirk as she passed Roger Davies. She ignored him completely. He frowned, and Fred couldn’t help but feel a pang of glee at the sight.

“Hey darling,” Carolyn began sweetly, squeezing Fred’s arm and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Rejoicing in Davies’ ugly glares as he exited the classroom, Fred grinned and restarted the performative charm he usually maintained around her.

“Hey sweets, you have a nice day?” He began confidently, hiding the mountains of pain in his heart.

“Ugh, no. Potions was a fucking drag and that know-it-all Ravenclaw keeps getting on my nerves,” Carolyn said in a pointed tone.

With a sneaking suspicion she was referring to you, Fred was sure to express no emotion at her words.

“Huh, guess some people are just work-obsessed. Bunch of losers, really.”

She nodded, but Fred noticed a glint of something in her eyes that made his stomach erupt in butterflies.

After being shooed out of the classroom by Flitwick, Fred returned to the common room, praying that the look was imagined and that she’d be sweet tonight.

—

“A little birdie told me you were chatting up that annoying Ravenclaw girl in Charms earlier, didn’t know swotty loners were your thing. She hot?” Carolyn began derisively, her words dripping with mocking accusation. Well, the sweetness was good while it lasted. Fred just shrank into the common room sofa and dropped his eyes, hating his cowardice and how unlike himself it made him feel, but simultaneously lacking the heart to fight her.

“No, love.” Fred sighed. Conjuring up a bravery he knew had long escaped him, he continued. “Although I don’t think you’re in a position to be lecturing me on sneaking around with other people.”

“I wouldn’t need to if I didn’t have to deal with you eyeing up the first skirt that said two words to you,” she snapped. “Honestly Fred, when will you learn? It’s as though you want me to do this! I thought you’d figure it out after the first time, but no- you kept screwing around with Angelina after Quidditch practices-”

“We were just talking,” Fred moaned in desperation. “She’s the captain of the team, I can’t just stop talking to her! Please Carolyn, I swear! I love you!“

She scoffed.

“No Fred, I love you. I’m not sure you could even feel something so complex, it’d shock your system. Stick to Zonko’s.”

“You don’t need to say that, Carolyn. I get it, alright? I’m scum,” Fred said hotly, fighting back his tears.

“Oh don’t get all upset, you know I didn’t mean it like that. Toughen up a bit, I literally don’t know a single guy who cries when his girlfriend makes a joke.” She said casually, wrapping an arm around him and threading her hand through his hair. “Come on, Freddie. How about we go to bed, hm?” Carolyn cooed, batting her eyelashes.

Mechanically, as he had done so many times before, Fred took his girlfriend by the hand and led her into his dorm, knowing that he would regret his lack of self-control tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

You were jittery as you returned to the Ravenclaw common room. Carolyn was already on your case in Potions, and your newfound friendship with Fred would only make things worse. You weren’t scared of her, but the fewer things she had to bitch at you about, the easier your life would be. Storming into your room to complete her half of the pair project you had both been set (a chore made doubly frustrating by the fact that Carolyn had achieved an O in her Potions OWL), you assessed the chances of Fred breaking it off with her. He’d been aware of her infidelity for at least two weeks at a guess, so you could only conclude that Carolyn had ensnared him with her own personal brand of malice.

He had to leave her; not just because you wanted him and Merlin did you, but because he was hurting day by day. He barely noticed you unless he was speaking directly to you, but you noticed everything about him. The clothes he wore, the way his unruly ginger hair flopped about, and the crushing pain in his eyes whenever you saw him around Carolyn; pain that was so close to the surface that you were surprised it didn’t spill out of every pore in his body. You shuddered at the memory of seeing Carolyn and Roger together for the first time- openly sucking face in the Ravenclaw common room as though they had nothing to hide.

Orchestrating the swap had been easy enough. It was old news that Alicia Spinnet, your current Charms partner had a blazing (and in your opinion, thoroughly misplaced) crush on Roger, so casually suggesting to her that she work with him did the trick quite nicely. In truth, you wanted to spare Fred the humiliation of having to deal with Roger four times a week, but you couldn’t deny your desire for Fred’s company on a more personal basis. Fleeting glances across the Great Hall and the occasional bit of small talk that came hand in hand with being friends with Alicia was good, but you needed more. And while neither of you were aware of it yet, Fred reciprocated this need with a passion.

—

The next day was a Saturday, and you resolved to head to the library to check out a book on ancient Egyptian ciphers that would prove useful to your alchemy assignment. You absentmindedly pored over the ancient runes section, getting lost in the expanse of knowledge that lay before you. Not long after your nostrils had become acclimatized to the musty smell of old leather-bound parchment lining the walls of the library, you noticed a flash of red hair.

Fred Weasley was sat in the currently empty, study desk directly opposite you with his head on the table. This had to be the first time you’d ever seen Fred in the library on a weekend- possibly just the first time you’d seen him there period. You didn’t need to wonder what he was doing there. The library was probably the only place Carolyn wouldn’t look for him. It was still early; before breakfast even, and he was already agonizing over her. Ignoring the weight in your chest, you approached him quickly, reaching the other end of the table before finally speaking.

“What’s up Protean partner?” You said without thinking, only to cringe internally at the stupid nickname you’d come up with. Thankfully, he beamed up at you, a flutter starting in your heart at the way his smile reached his eyes. Your heart ached though; he looked exhausted and wearier than ever.

“Hm, dunno. The ceiling? The sky? My time at this fine institution?”

You giggled at the joke, but you were no less privy to the look of sadness that lay behind his mirth.

“Fred, are you okay?” You finally asked, your voice shy but no less genuine. He gave you a small smile.

“Yeah. Just needed to go somewhere to think, y’know?”

You were immediately self-conscious. “Oh, would you rather be alone then? I can leave you to just chill?”

Fred shook his head quickly and beckoned for you to sit down. “No, please- I’d love a chat.” The simplicity and yet the hidden urgency of his request had you longing to comfort him. You wanted him to feel good around you, so without another word, you got chatting. Eventually, the topic of Carolyn reared its ugly head, and Fred had to admit how surprised he was at how well you seemed to know her.

“We were best friends up until second year” you said, smiling wistfully. Fred narrowed his eyes, surely confused with this detail.

“Really? She- well, she-” he struggled with his words.

“Talks about me as if she barely knows me, right? Probably chucks in a “loser” or a “swotty know-it-all” for dramatic effect? Yeah. Funny how things turn out.”

“Yeah, sorry…” Fred scratched his neck and nodded with a knowing look in his eye, while leaning back languidly into his chair. “Bet you were a good friend, she’s just ridiculous sometimes-” immediately, Fred shut his mouth, eyes fearful. “Never mind.”

“What is it?” You looked over your shoulder but could see nothing behind you which would justify his sudden change in tone. The look of fear in his eye was familiar, but you couldn’t place it.

“Don’t worry. What’s that book you’re reading about, then?” He asked pointing at the dusty old book you’d plopped on the table. You took the cue.

“Ah, this old boy? This here’s Fundamentals of Ancient Egyptian Runes, been trying to check it out for weeks. I’ve got a big alchemy project to do, and that wouldn’t be an issue if half the bloody manuscripts I’m working from weren’t in Egyptian ciphertext,” you sighed. “So it’s gonna be a slog, but I think I’ll work everything out eventually- if I manage to get my hands on the deciphered manuscripts, I think I’ll really be able to do something special.”

Fred listened to you with rapt attention, taking in each of your words.

“Woah,” he started. “That’s so cool! I mean obviously I haven’t got a clue but you sound so interested in it.”

“Well see, alchemy’s dead easy once you grasp the basics… it’d probably come in handy with some of your products!” You said brightly, steering the focus of the conversation towards something he enjoyed. It seemed to work, because his eyes brightened and he grinned.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m useless and George’s just as much so- guess it’ll have to be your job,” he said confidently, before hesitating again and bunching up his eyebrows. “I mean, if you even wanted. I’d get it if you didn’t, it’s just a joke shop really… nothing special…”

Your eyes softened and without thinking, you placed a hand on his. He didn’t flinch.

“It’s very special, Fred.”

—

You spent the rest of the day positively buzzing. The two of you had spent so long chatting that you’d missed breakfast, the conversation only ceasing once the grumbles of Fred’s stomach became louder than his actual words. At that point, he showed you the kitchens, where the two of you devoured a delicious fry-up in the presence of cheery, chatty house-elves.

It was at this point that you recognised the look of fear Fred had sported earlier after you’d told him about your ill-fated friendship with Carolyn. His reaction had been comparable to that of a house-elf who’d spoken ill of its master. Burying the sadness that came hand-in-hand with this realisation, you continued to be there for Fred, soothing him through moments where he was undoubtedly feeling the whiplash of Carolyn’s nastiness.

Eventually, the two of you went your separate ways, and while it stung to be parted from Fred, you couldn’t bury the feeling of coy excitement, and the relief that Fred was getting more and more comfortable around you.

The only thing that stopped you from going to bed feeling positively ecstatic was the sight of Fred and Carolyn together at the feast talking and laughing, and kissing over their dinner.

You knew it wouldn’t be easy for him to leave, but could it really be so hard?


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks flew by, and you and Fred settled into something of a rhythm. The two of you would meet in Charms class, as well as in free periods you were certain Carolyn would be in class during. In addition, you both went to the effort of getting up earlier than normal on a Saturday, and meeting in the library for a chat - Fred was utterly engrossed by the size of the library, given he’d only gone in a handful of times - “I never even knew this wing of the library existed!” You’d managed to show him all of your favourite books, and revelled in the sight of his jaw dropping at the length of one fantasy novel you were obsessed with- “Pretty sure I’ve seen History of Magic textbooks that aren’t as long as this.”

Those meetings however, paled in comparison to what you had planned for today. Miraculously, Carolyn had not yet gotten wind of your meetings- so on a warm Spring morning before she woke up (for Fred knew she slept till noon on Sundays), the two of you decided to pack up some food from the kitchens and visit the Black Lake. After finding a spot from which you could barely see the castle, you sat down and began to eat. You sat on the edge of a rock, dipped your toes into the crisp water and looked over at Fred.

If you weren’t already head over heels for the man, you almost certainly were now. He was stunning; his skin was covered in uneven smatterings of light freckles, and his red hair flopped over his forehead. You had the distinct urge to reach out and stroke it but your better judgement took over.

“Looking at something interesting?” Fred asked, breaking you out of your trance. You blushed and dropped your eyes.

“Fred, I need to ask you something- something serious,” you began nervously. Looking up at Fred, you could see him gulping like a fish.

“Yeah?” He started softly.

“Do- do you…” You sighed. “Does your hair just like, stay soft of its own accord or do you use Veela tears on it or something?”

Fred froze for a moment, before bursting out laughing.

“Bloody hell, woman! I thought you were gonna ask me something terrible!” He looked relieved as he wiped a tear from his eye. “You’re absolutely ridiculous,” he crooned.

“No, you.” You muttered, feigning anger. Fred placed his hand over his heart in mock offense.

“You’re gonna pay for that one.”

Without warning, Fred threw his hand in the water and jettisoned a spray in your direction. You squealed and jumped so hard that you fell into the shallow lake you’d previously been dangling your feet in. Taking advantage of your weakened state, Fred jumped in after you and splashed you even more, covering your hair in water.

Well, this wouldn’t do.

With a look of pure determination on your face, you launched yourself at Fred and used your entire body weight to push his head underwater. You only heard the first half of an expletive fall from his lips before he was shoved into the chilly lake; you kept your body on top of him for as long as you could, before he finally burst through the surface of the water laughing heartily.

You continued splashing around together and throwing lighthearted insults at one other until eventually, you both returned to the lakeside, exhausted. You frowned at the cake you’d been eating previously, certain that it would now be too stale to finish.

“Ah damn it, Freddie. We’ve gone and spoiled our breakfast! What are you gonna eat now?”

Fred’s response to the question came before his idiot brain had time to process it. Without thinking through the consequences of his words, he gave you a wink.

“You’ll do,” he said, grinning.

Immediately, your smile fell and so did his. He’d gone too far and he knew it.

“Hey, I- I was joking I promise, it was stupid-”

You just sighed sadly and stared down at the ground. It wasn’t that you couldn’t deal with innuendos. You had a filthy sense of humour yourself, but the fact was that Fred’s jokes were getting steadily more daring as time went on and as they did, the tension was growing, and as the tension grew, so did your longing. The idea of him joking about doing something like that to you, and then the same day, going back to Carolyn made you feel like little more than the other woman- than the comfy, homely girl that Fred saw whenever he needed some relief from Carolyn’s abuse. Because it was abuse, and while Fred was reticent to use the word (“I’m a bloke, Y/N! Don’t be ridiculous!”), there was no other description for the constant insults, the infidelity and as you had discovered last week to your horror- the hitting, whenever her anger boiled over - “It was just a slap alright, I barely felt it!” You wanted to be there for him, to support him unconditionally, but when you both wanted and needed more, it felt impossible.

There wasn’t any more you could give him.

“I think you forget I’m not your girlfriend sometimes.” You whispered. Fred sported a look of anguish on his face, before taking your hand and beginning to speak. His words however, were interrupted by a familiar shriek.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Fred paled and your mouth went dry.

With a positively murderous glare and an aurora that oozed pure violence, Carolyn was storming to the place where the two of you were sat.

Fuck.


	5. Chapter 5

After screaming at the two of you for what felt like hours about how you were both “fucking assholes” and “a waste of her time”, she finished with the absolute bombshell that you thought was low even for her - “you always liked touching my stuff, Y/N.” Carolyn’s bitter words rang in your ears for days after the incident. Was that truly how she viewed Fred? Her stuff? To add to your disbelief, she’d said the words in his presence, ensuring that he knew where he stood in her eyes. That however, wasn’t what hurt you the most. It was Fred’s simpering apologies, and the way he followed her away like a dog that made you feel like a knife was being driven through your heart. 

You couldn’t bear to look Fred in the eyes as she unleashed torrent after torrent of abuse onto the two of you. You just looked down at your shoes, only lifting your eyes once Fred was being dragged back to the castle. Feeling completely numb, you sprinted back to Ravenclaw Tower, damning yourself, damning Fred and most of all, damning Carolyn for the vice grip she had around him. You should’ve stayed alone, you thought bitterly. Should’ve stuck to alchemy books. Ignoring the concerned questions from your roommate, you yanked the curtains around your bed shut and buried yourself under the covers. 

Two weeks went by. 

Fred had yet to say a single word to you. Charms class passed you by in absolute silence, under the beady eyes of Roger Davies- you were sure that Carolyn had manipulated him into spying on the two of you. You no longer saw Fred on the weekends and you now spent free periods in your room, sure to avoid the days where Carolyn would come back to the common room with Roger. 

Potions was unbearable to the point where you’d begged Professor Snape to switch your seat; unsurprisingly he refused, greasily telling you that your “teenage quarrels were none of his concern.” Carolyn would hiss insults at you, sabotage your individual work and knock over your inkpots when you weren’t looking- only to giggle maliciously and say something like “Oh! It looks like the world isn’t too kind to slutty losers who get jiggy with other girls’ boyfriends!” Usually, you would respond. In the past, you always had a sharp quip to throw back at her, but your anguish had taken everything from you. Your humour, your love for life, and even your will to study the way you normally did. 

She was winning, and you hated yourself for it.

The Quidditch season was approaching its end and unsurprisingly, Gryffindor reigned victorious. You elected to skip the matches, deciding that the sight of Fred playing his heart out would only inflame your passions further. It wasn’t until you heard Annetta, your roommate bitterly lamenting the loss of Ravenclaw to Gryffindor at the Cup Final, that you were snapped back to reality. Fred was moving on from you. He had to have been - there was no way somebody feeling the way you felt would even be able to play, let alone aid their team to victory. 

You needed some air. 

It was past curfew but tonight, Filch’s wheezy threats of detention and disembowelment meant very little to you. You pulled on a simple pair of jeans and and old T-shirt you’d picked up from a Weird Sisters reunion concert- a concert you had attended with Carolyn five years ago, you thought miserably. Making sure not to wake your roommates who had grumpily decided to quash the disappointment of losing with a long night’s rest, you made for the corridors. You decided to take the familiar comforting route via the Astronomy Tower, past the Fat Lady and doubling back past the Arithmancy department before returning to bed. You were no more than five metres away from the Fat Lady when you heard a conversation that piqued your interest. 

“-honestly I’ve never seen him miss so many bludgers.”

“Yeah, his twin was doing all the hard work.”

“Not sure which of them it was, but one of the Weasley twins was pure shit today- it’s a miracle the team still pulled through.”

Slinking around the wall, careful not to be caught by the tipsy Gryffindors who were chatting away, you tried to glean more from their conversation. You realised immediately however, that a party was probably going on to celebrate the win, and the last thing you wanted to do was run across the sight of Fred and Carolyn getting off in some darkened classroom. Choosing to ignore the burning curiosity as to which of the twins had played so badly, you swivelled on your heel and made for the Astronomy Tower to calm your nerves. As you ascended the stairs, your mind raced. Maybe Fred wasn’t doing so well after all, you thought, feeling simultaneously relieved that he wasn’t flourishing in his time apart from you, and guilty that the news of his poor Quidditch performance made you more cheerful than you’d been in weeks. You approached the top of the tower, walking towards a low sniffling sound- someone crying? You tried to turn away at the last second, but it was too late.

You’d already seen him.

Fred was sitting alone, in a corner of the top platform with at least five empty shot glasses and a bottle of Firewhiskey next to him. He was sobbing into his arm. 

“Fred?” You whispered, tears welling up in your eyes. He jumped, his already bloodshot eyes filling with hurt as he looked at you. He could barely manage a whisper.

“You…” his eyes looked fearful. “We shouldn’t be talking, if Carolyn-”

“Fred, fuck Carolyn!” You snapped, to your surprise and his as well. “I need to talk to you, alright? Where is she anyway?”

Fred paled at the question and gritted his teeth.

“With Joseph McFrenchington, I believe. She didn’t want to hang around ‘the guy who nearly lost Gryffindor the cup’ apparently” He said lowly, making air quotations with his fingers. You let out a sob and fell to the floor besides him, before involuntarily wrapping your arms around him. 

“Oh, Fred…” you said softly, taking comfort in the way he let your fingers thread his hair, and the way he so naturally leaned into your touch. And of course, the way his hand snaked around your waist to pull you closer to him. You were falling into the same pattern, the same dangerous dance that had led you here to begin with and yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to stop his hands when they lightly squeezed your hips or his forehead, as it rested against yours. 

“Why are you still with her?” You whispered, tears flowing freely down your face.

Fred just laughed drunkenly and downed another shot.

“She’s hot and good in bed,” he joked crudely.

He could have punched you right then, and it would’ve hurt less.

"Fuck, Y/N wait, I didn’t mean to say that…” You began to stand up, but he grabbed your arm. “Please! Look I’m not thinking straight!” His words were slurred, but no less authentic, and you were weak at the intensity in his eyes. It had been so very long since he’d looked at you that way. 

"So that’s it then.” You whispered, your heart shattering. “You want her over me because she- she can give you that stuff? She’s abusing you, Fred.”

“I know, Y/N. I know. And I- I do want you okay? In every way. It’s getting harder to justify being with her when I know you can give me everything she does and more. It’s just… she’s the only one who’d put up with me, y’know?”

“No, Fred I really don’t!”

Fred furrowed his eyebrows in frustration and let out a sharp breath.

“I mean in the long term! They all get sick of me eventually, I’m either too loud or too attention-seeking or too insensitive, or-” he sighed. “Just another poor Weasley kid. Don’t even know how you’ve hung out with me for so long, to be honest. People like you usually avoid me like the plague.”

The anger bubbling in your chest faded instantly. You moved your head back so your eyes were level with his, and placed his cheek in your hand. He closed his eyes and leaned into you, allowing your hand to move further up his face and into his soft hair.

“You are loud, Freddie- maybe a little insensitive too, sometimes. And you do like attention.” You smiled softly at the confusion in his eyes. “But I’d give it to you forever. And people like me? Fred, I might be a swotty know it all but I adore you. You know that. Besides, your energy and my nerdiness… it’s like we complete each other.” You blushed at your own cheesiness, and looked away quickly.

Finally, after a long stretch of silence, you heard a sniff and you looked at him again- tears were falling down his cheeks.

“Y/N, I…”

“You have to choose, Fred. I will always care about you, but I can’t do this anymore.” You let out a breath you had been holding, and continued. “I’m so sorry for how she treats you and a stronger person would be able to be with you like this and support you until you could finally leave her, but… I’m not that person.” You finished, looking straight into his eyes and feeling the heat from his parted lips, so very close to your own…


	6. Chapter 6

The taste of Fred’s kiss stayed with you for that night and the next. The kiss had been soft; had you not been hyper-aware of Fred’s body next to you, you might’ve missed his lips when they brushed yours. Your first kiss. The fact that Fred had not yet broken up with Carolyn, rather surprisingly did not bother you; the look in his eyes as you sat together for what felt like hours after the kiss was enough confirmation of his choice. The only question now was a matter of when, rather than if. 

As the alcohol began to wear off, Fred’s words increased in clarity and you began to understand that labelling your relationship was something he feared deeply; Carolyn had caused him a great wound, and it would be a long while before he could consider it sealed. That didn’t matter to you, and you made quick work of assuring him that as long as he wanted you, you would want him and that you did not possess him - he was his own, incredible person, burning like a sun and that your only desire was to share his light. 

You held one another and murmured soft words until it became very clear that dawn was approaching. You kissed again as the early morning sun bathed you both in chaste, sweet light.

In the Great Hall at breakfast, Fred’s eyes were transfixed on you with an intensity that made you shudder. Despite Carolyn’s absence, neither of you wished to chance openly interacting in such a crowded place, so you let your eyes speak the words that your mouth couldn’t. As you wolfed down two slices of toast and a fried egg in your usual, lonely spot at the end of the Ravenclaw table, you felt a bubble of nerves in your chest. What if he doesn’t do it? Your thoughts swirled quickly and your anxiety must have been visible on your face because Fred merely smiled sweetly in your direction and shook his head as if to tell you to stop worrying, as he often did. And as expected, it worked almost instantly; pain, anxiety and jealousy evaporated as your eyes turned to his once again. 

You knew what you had to do. 

Finishing the last of your toast, you packed your satchel and made for the Dungeons, where you would share first period potions with Carolyn. She may have been absent at breakfast but for all her attempts at exuding a devil-may-care, rebellious aurora, you knew she’d sooner be found dead than skip classes. 

As you expected, she dashed into the classroom just seconds before Snape, quickly taking her seat besides you and shoving your books to the edge of the table, despite them not taking up any more than your half. With a sneer, you simply pushed them back, meeting her furious eyes with a determined calm. 

She was going to lose Fred, and the fact that she had no idea made you ecstatic. 

The period passed you by in silence with the occasional foul glance shot between you. You knew that after this morning the two of you would not interact again until Wednesday, so you acted quickly- as she turned the corner to head to Arithmancy, you grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby empty classroom without anyone seeing.

“Ugh, you crazy bitch! What the fuck do you want?” She hissed, trying to wriggle out of your grip. You didn’t let up, and simply tightened your hand around her wrist until she got the picture and stopped struggling. 

“Shut up and just listen! Does it make you feel better, Carolyn? To treat Fred like you do?”

“What are you talking about?” Carolyn demanded, although you were quite certain that she knew exactly what you were talking about. Carolyn’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a patchy red, but you continued calmly.

“Guess it’s gotta take the edge off, right? Turning someone who loves you into a punching bag, and all- the apple doesn’t seem to fall very far from the tree, does it?” 

There was a split second where you were certain that Carolyn would draw her wand on you, but when she did not, you intensified your glare and raised your voice. 

“I’m not your friend anymore; I haven’t been for the past five years. So in truth, I couldn’t care less about you.” Against your will, you felt a pang of regret at the words that had left your mouth. You would always care about Carolyn, a curse you had long tried to rid yourself of. She too, involuntarily flinched at your words, but recomposed herself as soon as she registered the action. “You don’t love him; maybe you did once, but at this point you’re just getting off on his misery. So yeah, maybe you and I were good friends once but you bullied me to death and are now abusing someone I lo-” Carolyn’s eyes flickered. “-quite like. So fuck you to hell.” 

You were expecting an explosion. A hex, an insult, even a slap. Carolyn’s silence almost unnerved you. It was as though she was calculating something, a million sums per second cascading through her brain, all converging on a single word-

“Fine.” 

“What?”

“You heard me- fine.” She wrangled from your grip. “Fuck Weasley, he’s annoying anyway.” She said the words as if trying to convince herself of their truth. “Frankly, you both deserve each other, your income brackets are compatible-”

Whack. 

Carolyn’s sentence was cut off as you slapped her, hard. Her face was jabbed round by the force of the slap, and several seconds passed before she turned back around and faced you, the red mark of your hand still present on her cheek. 

“Fuck you so much, Carolyn.” You whispered as tears formed in your eyes, mourning the loss of what had been your closest friendship for the last time.

To your absolute surprise, she did not respond. The faintest trace of a tear began to cling to her lashes; you were struck dumb at the sight. Quickly, she wiped it away, removing the only evidence that she could feel anything other than spite, jealousy and contempt as quickly as it had arrived. Her look of shock morphed into a sneer.

“Yeah, that’s what they all say.” And with that, she whacked open the door of the classroom and turned her head towards you as she left. “Hope you like knitwear and detention.” She spat, as she stormed out, leaving your heart in a million pieces. 

Only minutes ago you had been positively jubilant at the idea of finally confronting her, but now you just felt… empty? Disappointed? Somehow, the reality of your revenge had not delivered the catharsis you needed, and you simply stood alone in the empty classroom, drinking in the reality of the situation. 

Was Fred your boyfriend now? Surely not- that wasn’t how those things worked. Of course, he would need time to recover from her abuse, that was a given. But what about after? You realised, with a swooping sensation that there was no guarantee of a relationship with Fred; he was well within his rights to fall for someone else once he was ready, you had no claim over him and yet you wished you had, but that thought made you sick- you did not own him, he was free to leave you whenever; you could feel your eyes stinging and your face getting hot, and you wanted to run, to scream until-

“Just bumped into Carolyn in the hall. Apparently my girlfriend is in here?” Fred’s voice spoke clearly from behind you, clouding your racing brain. You span to face him and burst into tears instantly.

“Oh darling, don’t cry. What’s the matter?” The cheeky grin vanished from his face and he rushed forward to collect you into his arms, crushing you into his chest and kissing every inch of your forehead. You tried to speak, but the only sounds that fell from your lips were weak whimpers and vague mentions of Carolyn.

“I don’t think we have to worry about her anymore, dear.” He said softly, taking a step towards him and cupping your small face in his relatively large hands. Your eyes fluttered shut and you simply breathed him. “What happened?”

“Well I um… I,” you struggled to find your words. “I told Carolyn she was awful. And then, well- I hit her,” you muttered, looking at your feet. 

Seconds passed you by in total silence. You were paralysed with fear; was Fred angry? Had he wanted to break up with her on his own terms? Terrified, you looked up to check his face and were deeply surprised at what lay there. His eyes were blown wide with amusement and was that- no, surely not- lust? His mouth tugged at the corners, and he quickly darted his tongue out and wet his lips.

“You hit her.” He stated firmly.

“Yeah, s-she was just saying all this awful shit about you and me, and how we both don’t, y’know… have that much money and it just happened?”

“That’s incredible. You’re incredible.”

“I-I just don’t want to lose you Fred.” You said weakly, starting to blush at the sudden hungriness of his gaze. He leaned in to your ear and grazed its top with his mouth, his warm breath collecting on your earlobe, and all but growled into your ear.

“I’ll follow you anywhere, woman.”


	7. Chapter 7

You sat by the Black Lake with Fred as the sun set, tenderly dabbing essence of Murtlap on the damaged flesh of his hand, smiling apologetically at his every wince.

“Sorry baby. It’s gonna hurt, but it’s for the best.”

Fred heaved a sigh. “Yeah. Suppose it is.”

The next fifteen minutes passed in silence, as you dotingly tended to Fred’s wounds. His eyes roved over you as you worked with a practiced hand, taking in your every feature from the concentrated furrow of your eyebrows to the way your silky hair fell over your eyes as you worked. It was at that moment he admitted the inevitable to himself.

He was unapologetically and deeply in love with you. 

Months had passed since he left Carolyn, and while her cruelty had left its mark, he was becoming less fearful each day. Surprisingly, she had stayed true to her word and bothered neither of you, something Fred was partially convinced was down to you enchanting a cauldron of Stinksap to empty over Carolyn’s head one fateful morning, after she’d yelled at you both at breakfast. Fred recalled the memory with fondness and was particularly impressed at your evasion of punishment via the skilful transferral of responsibility over to Peeves the poltergeist. Naturally his siblings, as well as Lee, adored you, with George in particular coming to value your insight into the shop very highly. Fred no longer hesitated when describing a new product, and felt the constant storm clouds in his head start to shift the more time he spent with you.

“Good as new,” you said softly, bandaging his hand and placing your free hand over it. He brought your hand to his lips and kissed it softly. The action never failed to make you blush, and you let out a small giggle.

“You’re such a gentleman, Fred. Who would’ve thought it, eh?” you joked, bringing your hand to rest on his cheek. He cupped your face and planted a soft kiss on your nose before peppering several more along your forehead, cheeks and jawline. Finally, he reached your mouth, and gave you one sweet peck, before kissing you deeply, parting your soft lips with his tongue and savouring the faint taste of honey. When you parted, his eyes remained closed for a moment as if still trying to cling to the slice of heaven with which you had just graced him. 

“Come lie down with me, Freddie,” you chuckled, breaking him out of his trance and pulling him down to lie beside you in the spot that had once seen so much conflict. He pulled you to his chest and buried his nose in your hair, breathing in your scent deeply and letting out a contented sigh. 

“Why were you in detention today, hm?” You asked lazily, feeling a sudden burst of fatigue swoop over you as you lost yourself in his arms.

“Pft, can’t even remember at this point. Oh yeah- set off a Dungbomb next to Umbridge to distract her from giving detention to this titchy second year for eating in the corridors. Worked, the kid got off but well…” he gestured at his bandaged hand. You frowned and sighed sadly.

“Oh, Freddie baby. You’re always putting other people before yourself. I’m not entirely sure I would’ve been able to let her torture a kid on my watch either, but still… you’re doing so much good for so many people.”

Fred chuckled and ran his hand through your hair. “Just doing the right thing I am. Like you say, any decently brave person would’ve done the same. You’re a Gryffindor at heart, y’know?” His comment pulled a smirk from your lips.

“Oh yeah? And what makes you say that?”

“Oh, I dunno. Maybe the fact that you were brave enough to save me from the worst mistake of my life? And then on top of that, dump a load of Stinksap over the head of said mistake a few days after slapping them, while managing to evade all punishment?”

“Hmm. Well, when you put it that way…,” you pretended to be deep in thought. “I guess you could be a Ravenclaw too in a way.”

It was Fred’s turn to snort with laughter.

“Is that so? Not sure I understand your reasoning there, love.”

“Well, you’re creative! You think outside of the box! I mean granted, you couldn’t give a toss about your NEWTs…” you noticed the anxious glint in Fred’s eyes and hurriedly kept speaking. “But who cares right? You don’t need NEWTs to be an amazing inventor and businessman- look at Oliver Ferwick, he’s gunning for all Os and he’s a complete asshole.”

Your words seemed to reassure him.

“I’m so glad you believe in me baby.” He said softly, tracing his fingers over your lips and smiling.

“I do more than just believe in you and you know that.”

Fred didn’t have to guess at what you meant. 

“I love you too, know-it-all.”


End file.
